Get Your Last Thrill: IX Indoor Amusement Park To be Closed

Hello Coaster Fans Who Are Upset There Is No More Snow To Go Sled Riding And The Amusement Parks Are Not Open Yet Either,

As many of you know, the IX Center has been saying it's going to close for roughly about 8-10 years it seems. Well, all the businesses in the Parma, Middleburg, and Brooklyn (my work city) have received a letter from them stating that the 2009 is indeed their last year. Assuming this is true (and if they ever get the new convention center built...not to mention fix the bridge)...

The IX Indoor Amusement Park's season will be it's last. Next week, March, 27th, 2009 is it's opening day! If you haven't experienced carnival rides at Mach 9 speeds and backwards this is the time to go!!

LOTS of discounts everywhere (mostly on pop cans...or soda cans for those not from up north.)

See all of you there hanging on for dear life!

-RollerCoasterGod

I went two years ago and was really disappointed. The selection of rides for anyone taller than my knees seems to have shrunk over the years.

It was way cooler circa 1994.

Maybe if they close I'll never have to get the jingle stuck in my head again! "It's here today not gonna stay go right away to the IX Indoor Amusement Park!"

Do we know when the park will actually close for good, like the last operating day?

Remember, it isn't really a park; it's a still date for a carnival, and the carnival will be gone by the end of April.

What's going away is the IX Center facility. I wonder if the new convention center alluded to by someone else will have a high enough ceiling to house a springtime carnival....

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

We used to visit the IX Indoor Amusement Park every year - It used to be the combined units from Bates Bros., and I assume it still is. It was always a lot of fun, and usually pretty busy as it coincides with spring break.

I'm sad to see the I-X center close, what a behemoth. (I've heard that it was in the Guiness book as the world's largest room, or something like that.) But the fun was in trying the high rides, in some cases they come uncomfortably close to the ceiling.

Warning to Coaster-Only Riders---The website states that due to revision in the State of Ohio Ride Safety code, there are no portable coasters, including the advertised Spinning Coaster, that comply with the new safety rules, so they will not be playing the carnival. I wonder what that means? The new safety laws went onto effect on Mar 9th.

Another Warning. It seems David Archuletta will be appearing on Apr 15th and 16th - might want to avoid those days, too.....

Oh, the IX Center is finally going away? Anyone have a source/reference on that?

The last I heard the plans to demolish the IX center were scrapped. The city was renewing the lease with the previous owner. The airport expansion which is why IX was being torn down was canceled. Has this all changed?

They've been talking about dogging the IX Center for years. I'll believe it when I see it. The fact of the matter is that they're not going to kill the one large convention space they have until they have something else in town.

With the way the Cuyahoga County commissioners and the City of Cleveland are handling the Medical Mart/Convention Center I would be shocked if this is the last IX Indoor Amusement Park.

~Rob Willi

The new convention center isn't even out of the ground. I'm not even sure if there are plans to bid from yet. I seriously doubt there will be a new functioning convention center by next year.

RCMAC said:

It used to be the combined units from Bates Bros., and I assume it still is.

As of a few years ago (2005?), it is now one Bates unit combined with a North American Midways unit. NA Midways has brought, among others, the Zamperla Skater and Power Surge, the KMG Freak Out and I believe a Tivoli Scorpion.

While I haven't been there since 2006, I will agree with Johnathan about the 1994-era IXIAP. Rides like the Chance Skydiver, Chance Falling Star, Soriani & Moser Top Spin, Larson Hi-Roller, and the incredible Tivoli Force 10 (aptly named Black Out) have been sorely missed.

I saw it for the first time last year. I had a blast!

-Tina

It would not be built in one year, especially considering they want to use the same site as the existing convention center somehow. The thing is basically underground, so I don't know what they have in mind.

This information is totally false. The I-X Center is not going anywhere anytime soon. Matter of fact, the I-X Center recently announced a new show launching in 2010, the Midwest Marketing Show. Not something that would be announced if the facility was closing after 2009.

It does seem that there are fewer attractions offered each year. Nevertheless, it's become a tradition in my family and we'll probably be there on opening night (Friday). Yes, it's only carnival rides, but if you can't get down to KI in April, and considering CP's late opening this year, it's not too bad of a consolation prize.

Maybe someone could answer this thoroughly (namely Rideman :) ) but on the IX Indoor Amusement Park's site it states:

Due to recent changes in the State of Ohio Ride Safety code (passed on Thursday, March 12, 2009) there are currently no portable coasters, including the Spinning Coaster, that comply with the new safety rules. We apologize for any inconvenience.

What are the new safety rules and could this be a factor in the indoor amusement park possibly not returning after this year?

~Rob

i'm trying to figure that one out myself. The spin mouse that they usually bring in comes from Amusements of America, which is based in the People's Republic of New Jersey. If it can run there, I can't imagine anything Ohio would have come up with that would prevent it from running here.

I'm going to try and get some answers, and when I do, I'll post here...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Jeff said:
They've been talking about dogging the IX Center for years. I'll believe it when I see it. The fact of the matter is that they're not going to kill the one large convention space they have until they have something else in town.

I completely agree. Besides the Amusement Park, the IX Center runs a ton of shows. I went to both the Home and Garden Show and the Auto show (twice) and those events were packed with people. There is nothing around that size that could handle that capacity.

With the current economy, I can't see anyone shelling out the money to build a new one that size.

Well, I got an answer today on the "new rule = no coaster" thing.

Apparently the "new rule" adopted by the State of Ohio contains the exact wording of ASTM F 2291-09:11.4-11.5.4.1(1). While the language quoted looks like it comes out of 2291-09, i looked it over this morning and concluded that this has been a part of the ride design standard since at least 2005 (the earliest copy I have) and as I noted earlier, any ride that has run in the People's Republic of New Jersey should already meet these requirements.

The specific requirements, translated from ASTMese into plain English:

11.4. If the manufacturer has defined safety parameters for ride operation, the ride control system limits the ride performance to those parameters.

11.5. The ride may have more than one operating mode (i.e. "automatic" or "manual"). The mode selection will be indicated to the operator, and will not be easy to change accidentally. Changing modes won't initiate operation, and switching to manual mode won't disable the safety system. If a part of the safety system has to be overridden, some additional safety will prevent the automatic system from operating.

Essentially it says you'll have a block system, the block system will function at all times, and you can't accidentally do bad things to the ride. Hardly a show stopper in my book unless the portable ride in question is a truly dangerous piece of hardware that should only be running one train.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Is it a fair question to ask what incident initiaited the adoption of said "new rule"? Secondly, after seeing what CLAP went through to get "The Wooden Coaster of Infinite Names" to run, I can't imagine any state being stricter than NJ. Sure would like to have gotten to I-X at least once....sounds like the best of IAAPA, except without all the business deals. ;)